You Don't Understand
by Foxpilot
Summary: They told him that he didn't get it, that he was too young to see.  He may not be able to prove them wrong, but maybe he can prove himself right.  For The Stupendous Jimbo's contest.
1. Nana

**"For my own sake, the notes will be generally short.**

**"Nintendo is not mine. Let it…Begin!"**

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The day couldn't have been more perfect, which was part of what bothered Lucas so much. The sun was shining, the air was comfortably warm, and the clouds were wispy, adding character to the sky. The rain of the previous night had evaporated early this morning, leaving the grass on the hill nice and dry to sit on. And Lucas' friend, Ness, was next to him, thinking about something or another.

It was a day like this that gave the blond psychic a bad feeling.

Lucas continued to tune out Ness as he watched some of the Smashers below at the bottom of the knoll play a game of simple Frisbee. Kirby threw the blue-and-green disk to Toon Link, who in turn whipped it towards Link. Those two were so friendly. Probably because they were of the same spirit: kind, honest, and heroic.

Link passed the discus to Red with a small laugh. Everyone at the mansion knew that the Pokémon Trainer had a hard time catching flat objects. He claimed it was because he was used to spheres, but he had a hard time with baseballs, too. As predicted, the hat-wearing youth got clocked in the face by the Frisbee, his attempt at clasping his hands on the disk failing miserably. This drew chuckles out of everyone in the small group.

Red then tossed the Frisbee to his left with mock-indignity. The flat projectile was skillfully caught by a brown-gloved hand. This hand belonged to Nana, separated for once from her brother Popo, if only for the time being.

Nana.

Just the name made Lucas' feel weird. Not the bad kind of weird that came with a stomach bug, but not quite the good kind of weird when you find an off-beat comic strip or help someone find their keys. No, this weird was harder to describe, harder to understand. But Lucas, through secretly reading in the library, had come to a conclusion.

Love. Or at the very least, youthful attraction. It was hard to say with children his age. Granted, the magic of the Smash Compound made it so that he hadn't aged a day since his arrival, but Lucas had learned a lot since his arrival. Still, the subject was confusing and distressing.

He'd talked to Link and Zelda, one of the Compound's most famous couples, and they had laughed it off as childhood curiosity. Fox had gotten flustered and asked Lucas to get out. And Mario and Peach met somewhere in the middle of the two previous reactions. It was clear that they thought he was too young to understand.

But that was weeks ago. Through research and self-reflection, Lucas had come to the conclusion that he was stuck invariably on Nana: he craved her attention, wished to make her happy, and would not let anyone else have her.

The blond psychic was normally a much more rational person. Yes, there were many cases where Lucas had performed rash actions. The Ruined Zoo was not something he'd ever forget, nor would he forgive himself for it soon. But at the same time, the young fighter would usually think a little more about what he was doing or feeling.

There was no debate here, though. He'd jump through hoops, run through flames, and scale mountains just to be with Nana. And even if Popo, the eternal companion to the pink-clothed climber, disapproved, he'd continue his passion for as long as it lasted.

A thoughtful—or perhaps doubtful—part of his mind told him he just had a crush; that this feeling was nothing more than hormones running rampant through his bloodstream. But the rest of his mind generally ignored that section. No, he was almost certain that this feeling—this strange sensation that pervaded his whole being—was something more than just a passing phase.

Lucas stole a quick glance at Ness. The two Smashers were best friends, inseparable for much of the day. The two shared every bit of information they came across. This had led to a number of jokes about their sexuality by some of the more crass members of the Compound. But they supported each other through the hoots and hollers—which only added to the fire, really. But Lucas had yet to tell his best friend about this feeling. Children are judgmental, and Ness was known for his quick decisions as well as his kindness. Lucas didn't want to be judged again. He'd had enough of that in his own world.

Something seemed off about Ness today, though. The capped psychic was staring down at the Frisbee players, quiet. Normally he'd be talking about baseball or his newest toy, but today he seemed transfixed by the game below them.

Lucas followed his friend's gaze down towards the bottom of the hill. It wasn't easy, what with those large, doleful eyes that filled the whole socket of bone, but it was a skill one learned when you lived among people like that.

Ness seemed to be staring at one member of the group below. What Lucas found strange, though, was that the target was Red. True, the two of them got along civilly, but Ness and the trainer weren't particularly friendly. In fact, Ness seemed to have a sort of clipped tone when he spoke to the thinner boy. Jealousy at the kid's better figure, perhaps?

Of course, Lucas had come across something in his reading about hostile actions towards another person. The book had described how anger was sometimes a cover for attraction. Could Ness have feelings for Red?

It didn't seem likely. If Ness had any attraction towards another guy, it would probably be Lucas. Then again, stranger things had happened.

A tone sounded across the plains, heard everywhere in the Compound's borders and well beyond. Lucas sat up straighter, as did Ness. The two of them had forgotten that they had a match today; a tag-team. Lucas was paired with Bowser, the frightening leader of the Koopas. Ness was with the Ice Climbers, the lucky stiff. Still, no harm done. It was s friendly bout between pals. And a giant, spiked turtle, but no one paid him much mind.

Almost as one, the entire group at the hill began to weave their way through the Smash Compound in the general direction of the stadium. Joint matches were crow favorites, especially when two unlikely allies were paired as partners. This battle was going to be worth a lot in terms of profit for the organization as well as memories for the fans.

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The fighters entered the arena—Pirate Ship—with their normal flair. Bowser was first, stepping through a portal of fire. Then came the Ice Climbers, dropping from the bird that had once plagued them. Lucas then rode in on his Mr. Saturn table, hopping off as the unorthodox transport wandered away. Finally, Ness appeared in a grand explosion, shaking soot off his comically charred body just as the countdown—heard so much that it was just background noise now—reached zero. The group wasted no time, leaping into action as the crown cheered them all on.

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**"Cliffhanger, yes. But I'll be back with more soon. Just building a bit of suspense and sectioning the story a bit.**

**"Ciao chow."**


	2. Rivals

**"And we return. Wait wasn't that bad, right? …Okay, yes it was.**

**"Still am not licensed for Nintendo, nor will I ever be, I bet. Let it…Begin!"**

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The match was a stock battle with two lives apiece, meaning that one crucial miss could easily change the tide of battle. Bowser was the first to make a hit. The blow was superficial: only a brief Fire Breath onto Ness. The psychic took it in stride and retaliated with a PK Fire. Bowser took some minor burns but was quick to recover, as well. The giant turtle leapt into the air and slammed down with a Bowser Bomb, which Ness nimbly dodged. The boy rolled back again and launched a PK Flash, but Lucas stepped in and whacked his friend with a stick. The two may have been good pals, but this was still a Brawl. Everything within loose limits went. Ness responded in kind by launching his yo-yo in a sweeping arc, catching Lucas in the backswing. The blond was knocked back a bit but quickly stood up again. His charge was cut short when Bowser's back slammed into him. The Koopa had been sent flying by the Ice Climbers' hammers. Ness took the time to prepare a PK Thunder.

The youth didn't get the chance to finish. Bowser was up in a moment and grabbed the hat-wearing youth in a Flying Slam. Lucas rolled back and distracted the Ice Climbers. No need for Nana to get crushed under a giant turtle, after all.

The blond started with a PK Fire of his own, sending both Climbers back momentarily. Lucas winced a bit as Nana took part of the hit, but he kept on fighting. He could apologize later if need be. The fire attack was followed up with another swing of the branch. Carefully timed to just hit Popo, the move slammed into the Ice Climber with the gusto expected from a Smasher. As Popo tumbled back, Lucas gave chase. He did not, however, take into account Nana's proximity, and received a hammer blow as a result.

Popo came back and Lucas was caught in a two-way pincer. Of course, Nana's top priority was to return to her brother's side, and bypassed Lucas to do so. Lucas snapped off a blast of PSI energy, sending Popo back a little towards the catapult on the ship which had just appeared. Nana followed loyally, ready to assist her sibling.

The duo and Lucas charged at each other again. Lucas sent out several bursts of energy as he slid to a stop, catching the twins by surprise. But they responded with Blizzard blasts that froze the psychic for a moment. In that crucial half-second, the twins slipped into a Squall Hammer, buffeting the blond fighter with several mallet hits. Lucas responded with another PK Fire—cringing as Nana got caught in the blaze—and then a PK Thunder. Rather than strike himself and launch his body at his opponents, the psychic used his bolt's piercing ability to shock the Climbers several times. He'd have to apologize greatly after this match.

Stunned, the Ice Climbers didn't have time to leap before the catapult launched—with them in it. Popo, being the heavier of the two, managed to stay on the stage. Nana, though, was shot past the border of the level and disqualified. Lucas would have slapped himself if he had the time; he'd meant to let Nana respawn with Popo immediately. But there was no time to think before he was struck by a blazing light. In his distraction, Lucas had forgotten about Ness, who had been battling Bowser. The turtle, though, had been knocked into the water for the moment, giving Ness the moment to launch a free move at Lucas. And what a blow it was: the blond was nearly shot off of the stage completely, nearly hitting the upper boundary of the level and falling into the background. But his relatively low damage saved him, and he watched as Bowser grabbed Ness and threw him back towards the stern of the boat.

Lucas crashed down. Popo advanced on him, but Lucas kicked out as he got to his feet, sending the lone Climber back. Popo retaliated with a Squall Hammer, but Lucas dodged through the move and responded with a PK Freeze. The mighty attack hit, immobilizing Popo and leaving him open to Lucas' signature devastating blast: PK Love.

The hexagonal burst of energy made contact with the mountain-scaling fighter just as Popo's icy prison broke open. With all of his damage, the male Ice Climber had no chance to recover as he was sent past the upper border and into the background, signaling a knock-out. The crowd began to cheer and chant Lucas' name. For a moment, all time seemed to stop as the youth felt a glow of pride. He'd become so strong since joining the Smash Bros.

A roar of frustration signaled the return of the universe as Bowser was smashed out of bounds to the stern of the ship by Ness' bat. The great King of Koopas had left his mark, though; Ness was tired and hurt. It was time to gain an advantage in the battle.

Lucas charged, preparing a blast of PSI energy. Ness was ready, though, and dodged back as the blond slid forward, releasing the pent-up attack in the process. Lucas' attack missed, and Ness retaliated with PK Fire. While his friend was trapped by the blazing pillar, Ness launched a PK Flash. There wasn't enough time to fully charge the move, but it was enough to send Lucas flying in the opposite direction.

Bowser, returned from his fall, stepped in and took Lucas' place, swiping a claw at Ness to prevent the hat-wearing psychic giving chase. But Lucas continued to fly, eventually soaring over the regenerated Ice Climbers. With expertly-timed and choreographed swings of their hammers, the twins knocked Lucas past the upper boundary and into the sky as the clouds darkened.

A whirlwind had picked up the boat by the time Lucas returned. Dropping off of the spawning platform, the blond made for Popo, bent on keeping the two from overwhelming his terrapin partner. Bowser rolled to the other side of Ness as the black-haired kid launched a PK Fire. Lucas absorbed this with his PSI Magnet before pulling out a stick.

Ness reacted instantly. Leaving the twins to fight Bowser, He rolled behind the Ice Climbers and took the blow directly. What Lucas saw on his friend's face would haunt him.

The swing would have clobbered both Climbers, who had given chase as Bowser slipped back. Nana was at the rear, though, and would have taken the center of the switch in her left side. As the two ran off in pursuit of their target, Ness had stood in the way, defending his allies. His face was a set mask of irritation.

Irritation? Surely Ness was sporting enough to let Lucas take a fair swipe at a proper target! Time slowed again, sending the entirety of the stage into its own world while Ness and Lucas clashed wills; the blond saw his friend's black eyes flick to the side, futilely trying to look back like a character in a two-dimensional fantasy world.

As the branch contacted Ness' face, Lucas realized that his hat-bearing friend was concerned. No, it went beyond concern. The deep frustration could only mean that he felt something stronger for the Ice Climbers. Realization dawned on Lucas as the blow sent Ness spiraling away. But their eyes locked once again and Lucas was sure:

Ness had a deep caring for one or both of the Ice Climbers.

The older psychic didn't have time to flail before he reached the right edge of the stage, breaking the boundary in a colorful explosion of light. Immediately after, the stage returned to the water with a loud splash. Lucas hardly noticed either of these things, only reacting on instinct when a pair of Ice Shots struck him. His mind was processing.

Ness cared for the Ice Climber duo. Both had occasionally joined in when the others taunted both PSI wielders for their close friendship, but it was always in good fun with them. Victims of incest jokes themselves, the parka pair understood the pains of being misunderstood. The four would commonly joke with each other when one party was feeling belittled—it was a friendly exchange that made almost every situation better. Ness could like either of them. Or perhaps both at once!

But could it actually be romantic attraction? Perhaps; it would explain why Ness thought they needed protection. Lucas rolled away as Ness, on his second chance at the fight, rushed at him. Lucas retaliated, considering what he'd seen. The Ice Climbers were good friends, sure. But they were also worthy fighters in their own rights. PK Fire bolts collided in midair, cancelling each other out. Ness fought with rage in his eyes, as Lucas reacted from his vast knowledge of his close friend's techniques.

Stick and bat met. The Ice Climbers didn't need defending. PK Flash and PK Freeze both hit their marks. Just look at them, battling with Bowser while Lucas and Ness each flew off. The boat ran aground on a periodic rock in the ocean, sending the main part of the stage into a dramatic tilt. The Ice Climbers fought on. Ness thawed. Lucas landed on the miniature island.

Then why would Ness feel the need to defend the Climbers? They had low damage, and could easily survive a direct hit from Lucas' swutch. Ness made for Lucas, who launched a PK Thunder. The bolt scored several times, but Ness retaliated with one of his own, sending the blond staggering back.

Ness was a sport, so he would be willing to hold out against Bowser while Lucas fought Nana and Popo. A yo-yo slammed into Lucas' chin. So Ness must have a good reason for defending them, right? Lucas' PK Fire forced Ness away. So he must care more intensely about at least one Ice Climber than his friendly rivalry with Lucas. Two children, each propelled by a PK Thunder, collided and cancelled each other out. The boat began to level out as the rock sank.

But that would mean that Ness…Lucas was grabbed and, at the last possible second, thrown under the boat.

In the last few moments under the stifling water, Lucas' mind finally grasped the concept.

Ness cared about the Ice Climbers in a way that he never would for Lucas.

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As first to return from the magical stage, Lucas watched as Bowser slammed Popo off of the _King of Red Lions_, the smaller boat that Toon Link had cherished so during his time earning the title of Hero of the Winds. Nana disappeared in a sparkling bust of energy, leaving the giant turtle to face off against an angry psychic boy. The parka-bearing twins came out of their warp stand next, and sat down next to Lucas. The blonde felt his face heat up as both Nana and Popo offered their hands as a sign of good faith. Lucas shook both hands with false confidence, hoping that they wouldn't notice his burning flesh or cherry face.

The match didn't last much longer. The weakened Bowser threw the damaged Ness into the path of an incoming cannon-bomb, which sent the hat-wearing youth off the left side of the stage. The crowd cheered enthusiastically as the warriors' transmission pads lit up and the fighters materialized. Bowser stomped out and roared in victory, while Ness stepped out and glared silently at Lucas.

The two psychics broke eye contact when Lucas looked down. He may have felt betrayed, but the blond was still friends with the black-haired youth, right? They could work this out.

Lucas looked up—and found Ness staring at the Ice Climbers, seeming embarrassed. But it wasn't the pair in general.

No. Ness was looking at Nana.

In that moment, Lucas' faith crumbled to dust.

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**"Gotta love the Rockman EXE 4 tournament theme: 'Battle Pressure.' Got me through the chapter.**

**"Went back and fixed some stuff in the first chapter, too. Ciao chow!"**


	3. Anguish

**"Back with fury. Does this mean I have fury?**

**"As usual, I have no access to any licensing. Let it…Begin!"**

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Rage. Fury. Betrayal.

Hatred.

Lucas punched the wall in of room, piercing paint and crushing plaster. Thankfully, he had the room at the end of the hall—anyone who heard the noise would probably think he'd fallen out of bed or his chair. For his part, the psychic youth's hand hurt now. But it didn't compare to how his heart felt, stretched taut between his attraction to Nana and his feelings about Ness' opposition.

How could he? Ness was Lucas' best friend, his greatest ally in the Compound. Sure, Popo and Nana were wonderful chums, but the male Climber was too worried about his sister, who Lucas wanted to be more than friends with. But now Ness was imposing himself between the blond and the brunette. It was too horrible to conceive!

And yet, here the situation had placed itself before Lucas, who had retreated to his room after the Brawl. The young man had options available to him, that much was certain. But Lucas was confused, hurt, and jaded by his pain. Only the smallest rational part of Lucas' brain kept him from marching straight up to Ness and dragging the fellow Smasher through the mud until his face had been scraped clean off. No, he couldn't do that. There were rules—practically laws—forbidding the harming of compatriots outside of protected combat. To even think of attacking another Smasher was dangerous.

Lucas sat at his desk and forced himself to calm a little. No, there had to be some sort of diplomatic way of resolving this problem. Perhaps simply asking Nana who she liked better?

No. Blatant rejection would be worse if Ness was the one she desired. Lucas could handle her refusing his offers at dating, but if Ness was the one she chose over him, the blond would probably end up in despair. He couldn't go through that again.

Lucas examined the patterns in the desk's wood. Lines of dark material streaked through the lighter brown. Every so often, a knot of wood would twist the lines into a circle, not unlike a river skirting an island. The lines all pointed side-to-side—a generic shape and design seen on school desks everywhere. Lucas thought back to the old Mansion, whose desks were hand-carved into Smasher-specific patterns. So _that_ was how the big Hand had afforded the Compound…

Scrutinizing the table calmed Lucas' fervent mind. Soon, the PSI-wielder was thinking not of the previous battle, but of the Mansion and its specially-designed features. The tables in the dining hall, which Master Hand had kept, were fire-hardened wood pieces made by master craftspeople in Archanea, one of Marth's favored lands. The chairs, also still in use, were made in Macedon, where some of the nobleman's friends resided. Each bed was brought from each individual fighter's homeland, as were most of the furnishings. Lucas' own room had been a rather comfortable room with posters of his favorite movies lining the walls.

_Graaawl_. Lucas jumped at the sound, only to realize that it was just his stomach. Though the Smashers were given nearly unlimited energy in the Brawls to keep them from making silly mistakes, the whole system required the fighters' metabolisms to work in overdrive. A three-life bout could let some of the most conservative fighters eat an entire three-course meal. Ninety-nine-stock fights would leave any Smasher utterly starved, able to outstrip the supply of many restaurants in Smashville. The two-stock match, plus Lucas' extreme feelings, left the psychic with an empty belly.

Chuckling at his private display of jumpiness, Lucas stood up from his desk and headed for the dining hall, which was now a separate facility from the dorms. Something to eat would calm the nerves and stomach alike.

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The dining hall was all but deserted. Red was nearby, playing with Squirtle by using Brussels sprouts as practice targets for the turtle's Water Gun attack. Other than the Trainer, though, only the kitchen staff, composed of Alloys, was to be found in the one-level building.

Lucas walked up to the counter and made his order, a classic cheeseburger without lettuce, onions, or tomatoes with a side of hash browns. It wasn't his favorite meal, but Lucas wasn't hungry for roast duck a la king with potatoes and corn on the side. That kind of meal was best saved for a special occasion.

Lucas made his way to a table by the windows overlooking the commons. The large evergreen tree in the middle of the field was a popular meeting place, as well as Lucario's preferred meditating dojo. Lucas could see the Pokémon in the tree now, just climbing down after his midday ruminations.

The clink of plates hitting wood drew Lucas' attention. A Red Alloy had brought his food, fresh and steaming from the cooking processes. Master Hand's ovens, burners, and microwaves were magically enhanced to speed up cooking to be almost instant. It took the skilled hands of specifically-trained Alloys, who spent their time in the kitchens rather than in the training rooms, to work the cooking utensils properly. The last time someone had tried to use an oven, the attempt at a turkey casserole ended up as ash. The smell had stayed in the walls for a week.

Lucas dug immediately into his burger, taking in the succulent aroma of beef and melted cheese with delight. The sandwich tasted even better than it smelled—the entire entree melted in Lucas' mouth and released the most potent flavors of its parts, mixing them all into one great final product to be savored at one's leisure.

The process repeated itself over and over, each bite just as delicious as the previous ones. Once the main course was nothing more than crumbs on the plate, Lucas started on the hash browns. The strips of potato were crunchy, but not dry. Pieces stuck together of their own accord, allowing the youth's fork to pick up piles with ease.

Lucas downed about one third of his side when he looked out the window again. In that moment, all of his pain and rage flooded back into his body.

At the tree, playing a sort of peek-a-boo game, were Ness and Nana. The children were leaning around the tree, making faces at each other in a juvenile manner. What got Lucas' blood boiling, though, was the odd vibe Nana gave off. It wasn't that she didn't want to be there. The aura was more along the lines of wanting to be somewhere else. This enraged Lucas to no end. How could Ness keep her from…whatever she wanted to do?

Potatoes forgotten, the blond Smasher stomped outside, all limits abandoned. Being in his way is one thing, but Ness wasn't allowing Nana to go about _her_ business. Such discourtesy would not be tolerated. It just wasn't chivalrous!

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Ness felt a sort of shock go up his spine—a sure warning of danger. He turned around to find Lucas stomping towards him, rage obscuring his normally bland face. Ness thought back to the Brawl earlier, then reflected on what he had just been doing. Lucas was angry about this? So the hat-wearing psychic got a turn playing with Nana. That was no big deal. The baby should share!

But sharing was clearly not even close to Lucas' mind. One foot fell in front of the other with horrible tremors; and with each step, Lucas brought power to his clenched fists.

Was Lucas upset about Nana? Tough luck. If he wanted to play games with Nana, he shouldn't have stalked off after the match. Ness got to her first—Ness had claimed the right to Nana's attention! The bat-wielder pumped mental energy into his hands. If Lucas wanted a fight, he was going to get one. The clash of the two PSI-powered Smashers wouldn't last long; Ness would ensure that.

Nana looked from one boy to the other. Both had strange, determined faces coated with some other emotion. Lucas had rage boiling in his eyes, while Ness responded with a defiant glare. Nana knew there was no way to stop the two of them by herself. Getting caught in the middle would only get her hurt. Or worse.

Seeing no other recourse, the female Ice Climber dashed off in search of somebody—anybody—with the power to halt this impossible feud.

Both boys faced each other, sparks dancing at their fingertips and jealousy flaring across their features. The two surveyed the other, both trying to predict his foe's first move and the best counter for the attack. For Lucas and Ness, time ground to a halt yet again as the former friends decided on their first courses of action.

They moved as one.

Surprise flickered across both psychics' faces when they pulled out the same move. One PSI Magnet faced its twin, both humming softly, almost praying for the Smashers to stop before somebody was injured.

The imagined pleas were ignored.

Ness pulled his barrier down first and rushed towards Lucas, bat in hand. The two weren't limited to the constraints of the Brawls; any moves in their arsenals were open for this battle. But using their respective PK Life-Up techniques was out of the question. There would be no time to charge the technique before its user was on the ground, bleeding and broken. Former opponents might have allowed such luxuries. There was none of that here.

The hat-bearing warrior pulled out his bat and swung vertically at Lucas' head. But instincts and reflexes honed by continual fighting save the blond. Lucas rolled to the side and pulled out his Rope Snake. The reptile was quickly used like a whip, snapping above Ness' head and grabbing onto the brim of the youth's hat. In a bold move, Ness tossed his cap aside and charged again, this time with yoyo in hand. With his wild hair swirling around his face, the psychic drilled the toy into his former pal's stomach, winding the blond.

Lucas knew there would be a welt there later, but there was an advantage to not being on a Brawl stage—some moves were _less_ deadly. A simple hit from a toy wouldn't cause critical damage so easily. But it would give Ness enough time for—.

Oh no.

Lucas hardly had time to roll past Ness before a pink wave ripped through where he had just been. The ground was torn asunder for a full twenty feet before the shot dissipated. The air surrounding Ness was still charged with PSI energy. Such a blast of Ness' signature move, PSI Rockin, and the kid wasn't even winded. The combats, made safe as they may have been, were still a great way to boost oneself to the limit.

Of course, Ness wasn't the only one who could pull that off.

Jumping to his feet, Lucas readied a blast of his own identifying technique. PK Love was weakened for the stage battles for safety and balance, but here, the full power of the attack could be unleashed.

Ness seemed to expect this, though. He charged another blast of PSI Rockin, ready to meet Lucas in a show of direct force. There would be no holding back for these two now.

Lucas launched.

Ness launched.

The attacks met. With the two boys at point-blank range, the effects were immediate. As the two Smashers poured their hearts, souls, and minds into the energy waves, blue hexagons and pink lines pushed against each other violently and without pause. If the meeting point of the attacks ended up at the hands of one of the fighters, the victim would take the full brunt of both psychic spells.

It never reached that point.

The energies overloaded each other and detonated, launching the two psychics back and away. The fighters were both horribly burned; clothes smoldered and hair smoked as the energies cooked the skins of both Smashers. But it wasn't over.

Both stood at the same time. Ness and Lucas looked at each other. Neither was in any condition to continue the illegal fight, but that wouldn't stop them. It was silently agreed on, though; it would only take one more hit each to finish this.

Their ultimate moves too dangerous to try again, both boys reached deep into their minds to call forth their next-greatest moves.

A giant blue snowflake hovered above Lucas' head as a pulsating green light floated from Ness. It would be PK Freeze against PK Flash. There would be no escape for either of them; they were both immobilized by their individual concentrations. The devastating energies soared towards their intended targets. Ness had power on his side, meaning a blow could kill Lucas right there.

But Lucas was faster. And that made all the difference.

The snowflake exploded into a flash-freezing burst of utter cold, leaving Ness encased in ice, a living statue and testament to the illicit battle.

The PK Flash fizzled out at Lucas' feet. The blond, assured of his victory, strode forth. But by now, bloodlust had replaced any other emotion. If Ness was going to try to take Nana, he could not be allowed to live. Lucas stopped, breathed in, and charged a PK Fire. And the charge kept building, until the psychic couldn't contain it—.

And was slammed into the dirt. The energy flare quickly disappeared back into Lucas' body, energy unspent and charge cancelled. Lucas struggled with everything he had, but he was bound by some sort of cord.

Not rope. Vines.

Lucas followed his eyes back to their source. As expected, Ivysaur was there, looking rather upset. Behind it was Red, Nana in tow.

By the hand.

Suddenly Lucas understood. As the blood in his ears started returning to its normal rhythm, coherent thought became possible again. Ness never had feelings towards Red. In fact, he'd been infatuated with Nana longer than Lucas had been!

The cold glares Ness always directed at the Pokémon Trainer were gazes of jealousy.

Red and Nana were dating.

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Lucas sat, knowing his punishment would be nigh. Mario, in his iconic doctor's outfit, had said that the frozen youth had been thawed successfully and would awaken at anytime now. All Master Hand needed was Ness' version of the events before judging the infatuated blonde's fate. As it was, Lucas knew that the repercussions of his actions would be severe, ranging easily into expulsion from the Smash World.

As the heart monitor beeped in the background, the psychic stared at the floor and did his best to shake off the implied gaze of the giant white glove in front of him. It was amazing how a benevolent disembodied hand could strike terror into a person that had known him for years.

Finally, Ness groaned and rolled over. The blank eyes opened slowly, automatically homing in on the giant hand in the room. Lucas tuned out the conversation that followed. Ness was lucky to survive being frozen outside of the combats, and everyone knew it. Only thanks to Mario's physician side was the dark-haired boy in any condition besides dead.

At length, Master Hand floated out of the room. Lucas stayed where he was; the Hand-lord had not beckoned to him. Nervous sweat poured down his back, and his eyes, so like Ness', were glazed over in tears. He had never meant to come to this point—never! Now he'd be sent home to his own world, dishonored and ashamed. There was little left at home to go back to, though. Few friends, no family, a ruined world…

A small cough repeated itself through Lucas' ponderings. Finally, the source made the most absurd cough possible that the blond was pulled back into the medical ward. Looking up, the eyes of the two psychics met.

And truth was shown.

Ness had told his part of the story, but he had not blamed Lucas entirely. In fact, the older boy had found more respect for his friend than ever before. Slowly, weakly, the dark-haired psychic extended a fist, grinning in spite of everything.

Lucas smiled back softly and leaned forward. Left fist met weakened right, sealing all animosity for good. Lucas would still be punished, but he would stay at his true home: the Smash Compound.

SSBSSBSSBSSBSSBSSBSSB

**"Total story words: 5866. It was less than 6000, which was a primary goal.**

**"And now I get to splurge on this note now that I'm done. This was interesting to write. Jimbo, you are absolutely correct when you say we rely too much on dialogue. It was pretty hard to resist even quoting that little cough at the end. But this is done now.**

**"Everyone, I must say that this was an interesting experience. But it must also be pointed out that dialogue has its place, too. Jimbo knows this (I bet), and now I see even better what he means. Jimbo, thank you for this challenge.**

**"Honestly, I was pretty miffed when our good host upped the word total and the submission date. But it turned out to be a good thing for me in the end. Still, I don't know when we'll see the results now…**

**"Lucas' punishment is totally up to you. Eat ice cream until he explodes? Go for it. Get buried by tacos? It's done. Off scot-free? That' ain't happenin'. Justice and blah, blah, blah.**

**"I think I've kept you all long enough. Total word count: check the little stats bar on the story list page. Until next time: ciao chow!"**


End file.
